Partners' Occupational Medical Services Ltd

The Occupational Health professionals have qualifications and specialist knowledge which relate to the workplace and the relationship between health and work.

Our specialists have knowledge and qualifications in employment law and how it impinges on health in relation to work. This may be particularly useful in sickness management, and claims against the employer (e.g after an accident).

We provide clear guidance on compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act where applicable.

New employees are assessed to provide baseline information for future comparison, to protect the employer from industrial injury claims.
Programs include:

• Audiometry
• Lung function
• VDU assessment
• Night worker screening

Occupational Health does not provide a treatment service for the employees, due to conflict of roles.

The three main areas of pre-employment, managing attendance and health promotion are summarised below. Click on the  links for more comprehensive details.

What is Occupational Health?

Pre-employment

The purpose of medical assessment of a potential employee before entering into a contractual obligation is to ascertain if that individual is fit to carry out the tasks of the job at the time of the medical, and that they do not have underlying medical conditions which may put them at an increased risk of harm.

Employers have a duty to maintain a safe place of work for employees and ensure that the public are protected from the effects of misuse of drugs and alcohol by employees. This is particularly important where employees work in safety critical areas. We can provide drug and alcohols screening programmes.

Standards of fitness are developed to make the criteria for this assessment consistent for all potential employees in a particular group.

Managing attendance

Assessing employees who have already been identified as having exceptionally large amounts of sick leave, to provide prognosis and report on the prospects of rehabilitation, fitness to return to work with or without limitation. Occupational Health can also assist with developing strategies that help control staff absences - that may help to minimise the length of time staff are absent, and thus reduce the cost of sickness absence in the workforce.

Health audit is a programme designed to provide comprehensive measurement and analysis of health and sickness in a company.

There are 3 components:

	Health risk appraisal to establish lifestyle profiles of employees
	Quantifying existing sickness absence
	A review of the working environment, procedures for preventing accidents, and the provision of first aid facilities

Health promotion

Health promotion is the preventive strategy of the company to minimise the incidence of ill health among employees.

Occupational Health can advise management in:

	Statutory health surveillance - the legal requirement to screen workers exposed to specific hazards • LGV/PSV licensing • Fork lift truck • Railway personnel track safety • Food handler • Night worker
	Risk assessment - identifying hazards, and evaluating risk, before accident or illness has occurred
	Suggesting precautions to reduce the risks
	Health education - any requirement to educate the workforce in preserving their health
	Travel Health (including immunisation programmme) for employees required to travel as part of their job.

The benefits of good health risk management can include increased productivity, reduction in staff costs and reduced compensation claims. The cost of implementing better controls need not be high.